Automatic gate.



F. BROOKS.

AUTOMATIC GATE.

APPLICATION man lULY 21.1912.

1,299,549. Patented Apr. 8,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- T xi-twea 5700/1255 F. BROOKS.

AUTOMAHC GATE.

APPUCATION FILED um 22. Ian.

Patented Apr. 8,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI 2 FRANK BROOKS, OF GETTYSBUBG, SOUTH DAKOTA.

AUTOMATIC GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

Application filed July 27, 1917. Serial No. 183,146.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK BROOKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gettysburg in the county of Potter, State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Gates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to automatic gates and has for its object to provide an improved structure through the medium of which the gate may be unlatched and swung to open position and temporarily held and may subsequently be released and swung to closed position, without requiring the driver of the vehicle to leave his seat.

Referring to the drawings 2- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the complete structure with the gate closed.

Fig.2 is a front elevation of the gate and the frame in which itis hung, the supplemental frame being in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the operating shaft in a plane just above one of the helical springs.

Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of the winding drum with adjacent ortions of the operating shaft with its helical springs and a portion of the end upright of the gate, the elevation being taken from the opposite side to that shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detall view showing the crossed retaining pawls and the ratchet with which they are normally engaged and which is car ried by the ope-rating shaft.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken through the gate and one end portion of the gate frame, the section continuing through the operating shaft and terminating short of the corresponding end of the gate frame.

Fig. 7 is an elevation showin the upper portion of the upri ht at one en of the gate frame and a part 0 the supplemental frame with the arrangement of the pull rope whereby the corresponding pawl is moved to releasing position, the top of the gate frame being omitted.

The present construction comprises a gate frame including a sill A at the ends of which are posts 16 and 16", connected at their upper ends by a top bar 12. Within this gate frame and at one end is journaled a vertical shaft 11 and swingingly connected with this shaft is a gate including end members 22 and 22 and connecting rails 10.

To hold the gate at times closed and Within the plane of the gate frame is a slidable latch bolt 29 which is held normally projected by means of a helical spring 30, so that it may engage a keeper 22" carried by the post 16". The arrangement of this slid ing bolt and its projecting spring is that commonly found in structures of this character. To retract the latch bolt at times and permit the gate to be swung in either direction, there is fixed to the latch bolt the middle portion of a cord 31, the ends of which are attached to the shaft 11 at vertically spaced points so that when the shaft is rotated in either direction, the corresponding end will be wound thereon and the sliding bolt will be retracted.

To swing the gate when its latch is released, there is provided the following mech anism and arrangement:

Fixed upon the shaft 11 between the points of attachment thereto of the cord 31 is a drum 19 and encircling the shaft both above and below the drum are helical springs 20 and 21 oppositely wound upon the shaft and one end of each spring contacts with a pin 23 on the corresponding end of the drum. The opposite ends of the helical springs rest against the opposite side faces of the upright 22 at the pivoted end of the gate. Thus, so long as the shaft 11 and drum 19 remain stationary, there is no tendency to swing the gate but if the drum be rotated in one direction or the other, it will serve to wind up the corresponding helical spring and cause it to press with one end against the gate. During this winding up of the helical spring, the corresponding end portion of the cord 31 is wound u on the shaft so that the bolt 29 is retracts and the spring then having proper tension, the gate is correspondingly swung to open position. As indicated in Fig. 4, the pins 23 are at opposite sides of the corresplonding ends of their respective springs so t at when one pin presses against its spring to wind it, the other pin moves away from its spring so that the latter will not retard the opening of the gate. The helical springs 20 and 21 thus serve as potential devices for actuating the gate, inasmuch as they store up energy while the latch is being disengaged, to subsequently swing the gate.

The shaft 11 is held normally against rotation by means of a ratchet wheel 13 fixed to it just below the top member 12 of the gate frame and with this ratchet wheel are engaged the two pawls 26 that are crossed and connected at their point of crossing to the top beam of the gate frame by a common pivot 26, the butt ends of the pawls projecting at opposite sides of the gate frame.

To move the proper pawl 26 and release the ratchet 13 and at the same time to rotate the shaft 11 to energize the corresponding spring 20 or 21, ropes 28 are attached to the periphery of the drum 19 at diametrically opposite points at opposite sides of the gate frame. These ropes, as shown in Fig. 1, pass from the drum 19 and are crossed be tween it and the post 16 of the gate frame. From thence, the ropes pass through guides 25 and then upwardly of the opposite faces of the post 16 and through pulleys 24. Beyond each pulley 24 each rope 28 is attached to the bend of a rope 27 as shown in Fig. 1. This rope 27 from its bend where attached to the rope 28, extends through an opening in the upper end of the corresponding post 16, from which one end portion of the rope 27 passes to the butt end of the corresponding pawl 26 while its other end portion extends to and through the corresponding pulley 18 at the outer end of the corresponding arm 17, from which pulley it depends at the corresponding side of the gate and its frame.

It will be understood upon reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings, that if the depending end of the pull rope 27 be drawn downwardly, the connected pawl 26 will first be moved to release the ratchet 13 and therewith the shaft 11 and its drum 19. Further down ward pull on the rope 27 will pull the attached rope 28 and cause it to rotate the drum 19 and therewith the shaft 11, to draw the latch bolt and wind the corresponding helical spring to subsequently swing the gate away from the operator to open position.

Keepers 35 are mounted on the post 16 for floplu ot this patent may be obtained tor engagement by the bolt 29 when the gate is swung in either direction to wide open position. When the operator has passed through the open gate-way, he may pull the corresponding rope 27 which will effect an unlatching of the gate and its return to closed position, as will be readily understood.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is,

1. The combination with a gate having a latch of a shaft with which the gate is pivotally connected for movement independently thereof, releasable means for holding the shaft against rotation, a spring wound upon the shaft and having one end movable therewith and the other end disposed against the gate to pivotally move the latter whenit released, connections between the latch and shaft for releasing the latch when the shaft is rotated and means for simultaneously releasing the shaft and rotating it.

2. The combination with a gate having a latch of a shaft with which the gate is connected for ivotal movement independently of the sha connections between the latch and shaft for releasing the latch when the shaft is rotated in either direction, helical springs wound oppositely upon the shaft, the springs at one end being arranged for alternating winding actuation when the shaft is oscillated, the opposite ends of the springs being disposed to oppositely urge the gate when the springs are wound, a drum fixed to the shaft between the springs, means connected witlrthe drum for oscillating it, releasable means for holding the shaft normally fixed and connections between the drum operating means and the shaft holding means for simultaneously operating them to release the shaft and to rotate it.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK BROOKS.

Witnesses:

JAS. R. MGGEE, ORA M. Swim.

five cents eaelaby addressingthe0ommissioner of I'atonts, Washington, D. 0. 

